How to Create Online Ads That People Don’t Hate
Trent Mankelow with Mike Pethig
Support the visitor’s goals
“I would have expected a link down the bottom to go to a website to go and buy the album.”
“I would have expected a link down the bottom to go to a website to go and buy the album.”
Support the visitor’s goals
Interactive ads
Text links vs. Graphic adverts
We are attracted to:1. People and faces2. Movement3. Familiarity4. Brightness5. High contrast6. Vivid colour7. Strong pattern
Text links vs. Graphic adverts
Text links vs. Graphic adverts
• A 2004 study showed that text ads were viewed by more participants and for longer than graphical ads
Text ads done right
Position links to the right of the editorial
Don’t use a border to separate text ads & editorial
Use dark text on light non-patterned background
Consider word shape
• ALL CAPS REDUCES READING SPEED BY 13%
• Underlining also reduces legibility
Creative is everything
Creative is everything
Use common, imageable words in your ads
• Low frequency words are harder and slower to comprehend than high frequency, familiar words– Low frequency words: abode, processor, livid– High frequency words: house, computer,
angry
• Highly imageable words were perceived more quickly and accurately than low imageable words– High imageability words: lamp, cloud– Low imageability words: fact, liberty
Putting it all together
The future of online advertising
